More council houses to be built in Highland

At yesterday’s Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee members have agreed an amended programme of new build housing in the Highlands which will increase the number of Council houses built from the 392 agreed by the Council in January this year to 512.

The amended house building programme agreed yesterday will see the revised number of new council houses added to the 126 within previous programmes, making a total of 664 against a target by 2017 of 688.

Members at the Committee meeting also gave the go-ahead for the Council to purchase a site at 92/94 Academy Street in Inverness and enter into a design and build contract with the developer to provide 14 units for affordable rent and 17 units to be developed by the Highland Housing Alliance.

Chairman of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee said: “Opening up and developing the key site on Academy Street is good news and gives our campaign to really boost and regenerate this area of Inverness a flying start with 31 new homesin the middle of the city.”

“Within our Programme we have given the commitment to work with the Scottish Government, Housing Associations and the private sector to help deliver 5,000 new homes by 2017 which will include at least 688 Council houses and other affordable homes so with news of Academy Street and the extra council houses that will be built this year, we are well on target to reach this ambitious goal.”